First Floor #245 – Sometimes Dance Music Is an Exercise in Cognitive Dissonance
a.k.a. A look back at how the genre shifted in 2024, plus a round-up of the latest electronic music news and a fresh crop of new track recommendations.
It’s been less than a week since the calendar flipped to December, but as far as the music industry is concerned, 2024 is basically over. List season has hit hard and fast this week, as several major publications have already crowned their favorite albums and tracks of the year. Add in the annual onslaught of Spotify Wrapped graphics clogging up our social media feeds, and it may not be long before the mere mention of the word “list” elicits widespread groans from across the music landscape.
And how will I be responding to this phenomenon? By putting together my own lists, of course.
Those will be coming next week, but in the meantime, I’ve already published an essay that’s something like a year-end “state of the union” for dance music. Unlike last year, when the genre—and, more specifically, the culture around it—felt like it was stuck in an endless silly season, 2024 saw a real shift in both the music and the narrative. The thing is, the industry crafting and delivering that narrative hasn’t necessarily changed, giving rise to a bizarre situation in which many of the same entities that spent the past few years extolling the virtues of hard trance and Vengaboys edits are now waving the flag for nuance and sincerity. It’s a bit weird (and somewhat galling) to watch this all unfold, but as I explained in the essay—which you’ll find below—at least some better artists and tunes are now getting some shine. That’s good, right?
I hope so.
As for the rest of today’s First Floor digest, it’s as overloaded as ever. The press may be trying to wind down 2024 already, but the rest of the music world doesn’t seem to have received the memo, which is why today’s round-up is absolutely stuffed with news items, new release announcements and suggested reading links. And for those in search of new music, I’ve compiled plenty of track recommendations—all of them from releases that dropped during the past week—and have also recruited ambient / experimental composer Christina Vantzou to pop in with a special guest recommendation of her own.
We’ve got a lot of ground to cover. Let’s get started.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Every Tuesday, First Floor publishes a long-form piece that’s initially made available to paid newsletter subscribers only. But if you’re not part of the paid tier, now’s your chance to see what you missed! The latest piece is now (temporarily) open to everyone, and it’s a look back at the past year in dance music, one that specifically highlights just how much the culture has actively backed away from many of the (frankly questionable) sounds, trends and aesthetics that previously dominated the post-pandemic era. Sincerity, it seems, is once again a hot commodity, but is that shift genuine, or just another trend?
REAL QUICK
A round-up of the last week’s most interesting electronic music news, plus links to interviews, articles and other things I think are worth sharing.
Even with all the lists hitting the web this month, it’s unlikely that anyone will publish a round-up of the year’s best electronic music features. Yet if such a list were to be created, it would almost surely have to put Resident Advisor’s profile of Skee Mask at or near the top spot. Written by Gabriel Szatan, who met with and shadowed the idiosyncratic German artist on multiple occasions over the course of several months, the in-depth piece reads like something you’d expect to see in The New Yorker, or maybe a vintage issue of Rolling Stone, in the sense that its detailed observations and informed commentary provide a real window into the existence of someone who’s both beloved and notoriously press-shy. In 2024, assembling these kinds of features is often all but impossible, so it’s encouraging to see RA—one of the few remaining outlets with an actual budget and resources—investing in this kind of journalism.
Following a lengthy hiatus, writer Declan McGlynn published a great new edition of his Future Filter newsletter this week. Diving into the fraught relationship between the music industry and the tech sector, he frowns upon the growing tendency to refer to artists as “creators,” citing it as something that contributes to the ongoing devaluation of music.
Speaking of ominous tech trends, a new global study about the impact of AI on the creative sphere was published earlier this week. Commissioned by CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers), it concludes that AI will cause people working in the music sector to lose 24% of their income by 2028, while audio-visual creators will lose as much as 21% of their income in that same time period.
There’s been a lot of talk during the past few years about the decline of clubbing and young people’s seemingly reduced interest in going out, and a new Guardian article by Emine Saner takes a closer look at the issue. Though the piece is perhaps a tad alarmist in tone, it does highlight some very real social and economic trends, and how they’re impacting everything from alcohol sales and club attendance to the wider live music industry.
Objekt is the subject of the latest Baker’s Dozen feature in The Quietus, who enlisted writer Christian Eede to get the Berlin-based artist talking about how his life and musical worldview were shaped by albums from Tears for Fears, At the Drive-In, Massive Attack, Drexciya and more.
DJ Mag’s commitment to revisiting various corners of dance music history has consistently led to some of the publication’s strongest content. The site’s latest historical deep dive was penned by Martyn Pepperell, who spotlights Sublime Records and the key role that the label played in the early days of Japanese techno.
The Electronic Beats Weekly podcast has previously been mentioned several times here in the newsletter—most recently in an article questioning why podcasts don’t have a more influential role in electronic music culture—but during the past week, I devoured a big batch of recent episodes, and heard some really excellent conversations. This is wholly my own opinion, but the team behind the podcast has really upped their game this season, shifting toward a more discussion-oriented format that invites artists, journalists and other figures to help them tackle thorny topics like the growing importance of visuals, the role of interior and set design in club culture, how dance music is being documented in 2024 and whether or not the word “community” really applies to the culture.
OBLIGATORY BOOK MENTION
My first book is out now. It’s called First Floor Vol. 1: Reflections on Electronic Music Culture, and you can order it from my publisher Velocity Press. However, if you’re outside of the UK, I recommend that you either inquire at your favorite local bookshop or try one of the online sales links that have been compiled here.
JUST ANNOUNCED
A round-up of noteworthy new and upcoming releases announced during the past week.
DJ Koze has a new album on the way. Entitled Music Can Hear Us, it’s due to arrive via the German artist’s own Pampa imprint on April 4. Only a few details about the record have been shared so far, but one can expect it to reflect Koze’s mischievous spirit. The LP’s first single certainly does. A collaboration with Blur frontman Damon Albarn, it’s called “Pure Love,” and it’s available now, as is the song’s accompanying video.
Batu and Nick León have teamed up on a new EP for the former’s A Long Strange Dream imprint. Announced and released just yesterday, it’s titled Yiu, and its four tracks were apparently created over the course of a single night after the two spoke online and León paid a visit to Batu’s Bristol studio.
Years have passed since DJ Sprinkles last released new music, and while the new acid trax album on her Comatonse label is technically credited to Will Long, the release does feature an edit and two remixes from Sprinkles herself. It’s available now as a double CD, and a series of three vinyl singles will follow in early 2025.
A Chicago legend whose catalog dates back to the ’90s, Traxman has put his own distinct stamp on ghetto house, juke and footwork. Some of his finest work has been released via the vaunted UK label Planet Mu, which released two Da Mind Of Traxman volumes more than a decade ago. Now a third volume has been commissioned, with an added twist: its tracklist was actually assembled by Sinjin Hawke, who assumed A&R duties for the record. Da Mind Of Traxman Vol. 3 is slated for a February 7 release, but LP track “I Want U to Ghost” has already been made available.
Early next year, Dekmantel will be restarting its UFO series with a pair of EPs, Wata Igarashi’s Kaleidoscopic and Piezo’s Ecstatic Nostalgia. Both records are scheduled to drop on January 24, and subsequent UFO releases from Broken English Club and Quelza are already in the works as well. In the meantime though, Dekmantel has whet listeners’ appetites by sharing a couple of tunes: Wata Igarashi’s “Kaleidoscopic” (the title track of his EP) and Piezo’s “Despa.”
Back in August, genre-melding UK outfit Seefeel returned with the Everything Squared mini-album following an extended hiatus, and rather than waiting another 13 years to release more new music, the group this week reappeared with another new record, Squared Roots. The seven-track release was born out of the same recording sessions that spawned Everything Squared, and it’s available now via Warp.
Special Request dropped not one, but two surprise releases last week. PORTAL 4 is the latest installment is his series of hardcore-indebted 12-inches, while STREET ANTHEMS is a full-length album that features a guest appearance from Fauzia. Tracks from both records appear in today’s “New This Week” recommendations, so keep scrolling for more details about what the music sounds like. (Spoiler alert: It bangs.)
CHRISTINA VANTZOU HAS BETTER TASTE THAN I DO
First Floor is effectively a one-person operation, but every edition of the Thursday digest cedes a small portion of the spotlight to an artist, writer or other figure from the music world, inviting them to recommend a piece of music. Today’s recommendation comes from Christina Vantzou, an ambient and experimental composer who currently splits her time between Brussels and Athens. A longtime kranky affiliate, she’s released a numbered series of celebrated solo albums on the storied imprint, the most recent being 2022’s No. 5, though her extensive catalog also includes appearances on labels like Edições Cn and Longform Editions, plus several collaborative records from CV & JAB, her ongoing project with John Also Bennett. Like many avant-garde artists, Vantzou is seemingly always on the move and juggling multiple projects at once, but here she’s carved out a few moments to recommend something she’s frequently turned to during her limited down time.
Tōru Takemitsu - In an Autumn Garden, for Gagaku Orchestra (JVC)
I first heard about Takemitsu from composer (and good friend) Lieven Martens. I asked where to start and he sent me In an Autumn Garden. I listened repeatedly and eventually bought the record. It’s been something I return to often; it's soothing on “off” days, when my body needs rest. The traditional instruments shine with silvery colors nestled in an orchestral format. I love these kinds of hybrids, which take the language of the ensemble back to its roots.
NEW THIS WEEK
The following is a selection of my favorite tunes from releases that came out during the past week or so. Click the track titles to hear each song individually, or you can also just head over to this convenient Buy Music Club list if you prefer to listen to them all in one place.
Boytronic “Tonight (Alternate Mix)” (Dark Entries)
There’s always been a lot of overlap between synth-pop and queer culture. That intersection wasn’t always made explicit, especially when the genre was at its commercial peak during the late ’70s and early ’80s, which makes the new Deep Entries : Gay Electronic Excursions 1979-1985 compilation both a historical corrective and an enthusiastic celebration of the era’s queer protagonists. Dark Entries loyalists will quickly recognize names like Patrick Cowley, Nightmoves and Boytronic, and this “Alternate Mix” of the latter’s “Tonight”—a song that first appeared on the German band’s 1985 album The Continental—is a glittering (and hook-filled) highlight, its cybernetic bounce providing the perfect underpinning for vocalist Holger Wobker’s dramatic flair.
Wladimir M “Kinderen” (Delsin)
Speaking of synth-pop, the genre soundtracked many of Wladimir M’s formative years, and after paying tribute to that era with last year’s unexpected 2023 release, the eccentric Dutch techno veteran has now assembled a sequel, 2024. Much like its predecessor, the record contains what might be described as reimaginings of synth-pop classics, pairing fragments of songs from the likes of Lipps Inc. and Depeche Mode with Wladimir’s distinctive spoken word. On the standout “Kinderen,” Yaz’s “Don’t Go” is the primary source material, and while its neon strut sounds as good now as it did in 1982, the addition of Wladimir’s poetic prose takes the track in an intriguingly mysterious new direction.
B1980 “Dream Designer” (Italo Moderni)
At some point during the mid-to-late 2010s, dance music was overrun with industrial- and EBM-tinged chuggers, as seemingly every bedroom producer on the planet was taking their cues from old Front 242 and Nitzer Ebb records. The music wasn’t bad—on the contrary, it solidified the standing of labels like Mannequin and Pinkman as absolutely essential outposts—but it did reach a sort of saturation point, and in the aftermath of the pandemic, its foreboding mood didn’t necessarily line up with the needs of ravers who’d just spent two-plus years in lockdown. Dance music, however, is nothing if not cyclical, and though records like B1980’s new Chronology EP have been somewhat scarce during the past year or two, the Belgian artist’s tunes—even the most ominous ones—now sound unexpectedly refreshing. “Dream Designer” is the highlight of the new record, and though its pulsing synths are sinister enough to prompt a nightmare or two, its crunchy, new beat-flavored stomp should prove satisfying to even the most tender of listeners.
.Vril “Saturn Is a Supercomputer” (Omnidisc)
Technically speaking, .Vril is a techno artist, albeit one who’s long been committed to playing with—and occasionally busting through—the genre’s usual boundaries. His new Saturn Is a Supercomputer album includes forays into electro, zoned-out ambient, Mo’ Wax-style beats, jittery IDM and more, and the LP’s triumphant title track sounds a lot more like Miami Vice than Ostgut Ton. (Perhaps that’s why it caught the ear of South Florida mainstay and Omnidisc label boss Danny Daze.) Deliciously hazy and infused with just a touch of ’80s glamour, the song harkens back to Cybotron and George Michael alike, its stuttering breakbeats powering what’s ultimately a slice of electronic pop magic.
TSVI & DJ Plead “Breath Work” (AD 93)
I didn’t expect to hear a Brazilian funk rhythm on TSVI and DJ Plead’s new Caldo Verde EP, but the percussion-loving pair put one to fantastic use on “Breath Work.” The song is something of an international affair; with its booming bass hits, the lively tune definitely cribs a few notes from the gqom playbook, but it pulls most heavily from the Middle East, layering its blaring ney melodies atop an ever-churning drum attack. There’s a lot going on, and in lesser hands, this mish-mash of regional sounds might be a total car wreck, but as the song’s title implies, TSVI and DJ Plead know how to let their various ingredients breathe, and what results is a rather thrilling (and undeniably club-ready) new hybrid.
Rhyw “Calippo” (Fever AM)
While it does seem that the manic, nosebleed-inducing variant of techno that’s dominated post-pandemic dancefloors is finally losing a bit of steam, the genre hasn’t completely lost its sense of humor. In fact, some of its most interesting new offerings seem to be coming from artists willing to indulge their inner goofball and have some fun with the music’s traditional parameters. What those indulgences specifically sound like tends to vary from one producer to the next, but it’s not a coincidence that many of them seem to be landing on Fever AM, a Berlin-based outpost that gleefully mashes up the low-end science of the hardcore continuum with the precision-crafted sound design of classic IDM and, yes, the insistent thump of techno.
Leading the charge is label co-founder Rhyw, a half-Greek, half-Welsh artist who’s increasingly let his freak flag fly in recent years, reaching gregarious new heights with the elastic “Drool,” a squirmy, acid-licked cut that arrived in September. Nearly three months later, it’s still a delightfully odd slapper, and though it’s been included on the new Melt in Unison EP, it’s now battling for attention with the growling gallop of “Calippo,” a standout cut with bombastic sonics that bring to mind the freewheeling days of Ed Banger, bloghouse and artists like Fake Blood in particular.
SPECIAL REQUEST “TOO COLD” (Self-released)
SPECIAL REQUEST “OPEN YOUR EYES (PETE CANNON VIP)” (Self-released)
Not many artists would drop a surprise new album on November 29, let alone a new album and a separate EP, but Paul Woolford long ago made clear that he’s not overly concerned with how things are “supposed” to work in dance music. Not everyone will understand how a guy who’s made a vocal house cut with Diplo could also be an unparalleled student of old-school jungle and hardcore, but Woolford obviously doesn’t need all of his music to make sense for everyone; following his own creative impulses is far more important, and those impulses have now led to STREET ANTHEMS, a full-length excursion into the grittiest corners of speed garage and bassline. Skippy LP cut “TOO COLD” also has a bit of 2-step in its DNA, and while it’s actually one of the more laid-back tracks on the record, its heavy-duty bassweight is sure to rumble the innards of anyone in earshot. Those seeking a proper dancefloor ripper, however, should check out “OPEN YOUR EYES (PETE CANNON VIP),” the hardcore-tinged closer of his new PORTAL 4 EP. Remixed by UK upstart Pete Cannon, the song does have a melodic twinkle, but once the rave stabs and furious percussion kick in, only those with a sturdy constitution will have a chance of withstanding its assault.
Forest on Stasys “Sideral” (Aura Sonora)
Chill grooves and low-end sludge may not seem like the most natural of bedfellows, but they flow together beautifully on “Sideral,” the lush closing number from Forest on Stasys’ new Magnetismo EP. (The record also happens to be the inaugural release from the newly launched Aura Sonora imprint.) Sonically, many of the song’s closest relatives hail from the early days of dubstep. But while tunes from that era were primed for smoky rooms and dank basements, this Buenos Aires-based producer has infused his production with sun-streaked introspection, wrapping his frenetic rhythms and steppy bass tones in warm pads that sound more like toasted haze of 3XL than the existential dread of Skull Disco.
Or Sobre Blau “Do Sagrado Coração” (STROOM)
Every few weeks, the STROOM label quietly drops a new record, and most of them are A) excellent and B) from artists that even dedicated experimental music nerds are likely to be unfamiliar with. From a purely curatorial perspective, the imprint sits in rarefied air, and its latest unearthed gem is Or Sobre Blau’s Piri Piri Samplers + O Terço dos homens. A collaboration between Englishman Kiran Leonard and Catalan artist Andreu G. Serra (a.k.a. Ubaldo), Or Sobre Blau came together in 2017, when the two found themselves living together in Lisbon after coincidentally moving to Portugal at the same time. Piri Piri Samplers was first released in 2019, and has now been reissued along with an additional piece, “O Terço dos Homens,” that the pair recorded in at a residency in Brussels, yet their jagged post-hardcore vignettes—many tracks on the record don’t even crack two minutes—still sound awfully potent. “Do Sagrado Coração” is the best of the bunch, and its ponderous guitar wanderings are sure to satisfy anyone who's ever obsessed over an old Slint or Unwound record.
Angel R “Starting to Remember” (enmossed)
A master of narcotic loops and cosmic drift, ambient / experimental alchemist Florian T M Zeisig has had himself a hell of a year, headlined by the Bong Boat album from NUG (his ongoing collaboration with PVAS) and his own Planet Inc LP. Most artists would have been content to stop there, but Zeisig also spent a good chunk of 2024 rolling out another alias, Angel R, which first appeared on two releases from Alliyah Enyo, and is now making its proper debut with a full-length record, Mossed Capable of Being Observant. Keeping track of all that activity can be a challenge, but this new album is an immersive, slow-burning pleasure. “Starting to Remember” is one of several highlights on the record, and its spellbinding array of celestial tumult and zero-gravity sonics plunges listeners into a zone that’s perhaps best described as luxurious murk, if such a thing exists.
Jolanda Moletta and Karen Vogt “Suspended Between Worlds” (Longform Editions)
With its ambient / experimental bent, Longform Editions isn’t a label that many people would immediately categorize as subversive, but in an era of shortened attention spans and algorithms that incentivize abbreviated track durations, the Australian outpost’s commitment to extended runtimes and deep listening feels quietly revolutionary. “Suspended Between Worlds” comes from the imprint’s latest batch of releases—that batch also includes compositions from Reign of Ferns, The Nighttime Ensemble and Sanae Yamada—and it’s a gorgeous rumination from Jolanda Moletta and Karen Vogt, two artists whose work is rooted in the transportive power of the human voice. Recorded in a French coastal town with a bare minimum of gear, the warm, but relatively sparse track—which, more than anything, is arrestingly beautiful—exudes an intoxicating sense of calm. And maybe it’s just the birdsong chirping in the distance, but “Suspended Between Worlds” conjures images of Moletta and Vogt perched by the ocean at dawn, their soaring voices communicating the sense of wonder and possibility one feels while watching the sun come up over the horizon.
That brings us to the end of today’s First Floor digest. Thank you so much for reading the newsletter, and, as always, I do hope that you enjoyed the tunes. (Don’t forget, you can find them all on this handy Buy Music Club list, and if you like them, please buy them.)
Until next time,
Shawn
Shawn Reynaldo is a freelance writer, editor, presenter and project manager. Find him on LinkedIn and Instagram—and make sure to follow First Floor on Instagram as well—or you can just drop Shawn an email to get in touch about projects, collaborations or potential work opportunities.